Ad Hominem - Academic Mode

Definition of Ad Hominem

Ad Hominem is a Latin word that means "against the man". As the name suggests, it is a literary term in which an opponent is commented on or rejected in order to undermine him in lieu of his arguments.

There are cases where people, consciously or unconsciously, start out with the opponent or his personal associations These types of arguments are usually confused with personal insults, but they are somehow different in nature and the distinction is very subtle.

Arguers unfamiliar with the principles of logic Arguments usually say something that would draw the audience's attention to the unpleasant characteristics of the individual. Such people use this fallacy as a tool to deceive their audience. When making such an overt personal comment against someone, people find it difficult to believe that it is not.Typically, even the arbiter himself believes that such personal characteristics or circumstances are not enough to get rid of this reasoning - even if they do it is considered rational - but never provides a valid reason to ignore a person's criticism.

Examples of Ad Hominem

Example 1:

"How can you argue your case for vegetarianism when you enjoy the steak?"

This clearly shows how a person is being attacked instead of being spoken to for or against their argument and therefore cannot be a criminal. "

B:" Well, you are a thief and a criminal, so there is your reasoning. “

Example 3: VeloNews: The Journal of Competitive Cycling

After an article on Lance Armstrong's retirement, the VeloNews website shared a post with its readers. One commenter posted a comment stating how great an athlete Armstrong was and that people should be proud of his achievements.

Another commenter wrote in response to the first commenter:

“He's not a great athlete; He's a cheat, a cheat, and a liar. Therefore, not everyone is "happy for Lance". “

The reasons given by the argumentator may well be true, but he does not support his argument with reason and logic. He does not say anything to prove that the premises he is proposing are problematic. Instead, he continues to attack whoever proposed them to him. differently, staying in Therefore, it is important to understand that the traits and circumstances of a writer have a fundamental role to play in their feelings, thinking and construction of their arguments.

In short, considerations on the use of ad hominem can better explain certain arguments and the reasons behind them; However, such considerations alone are not sufficient to assess an individual's opinion, and are certainly not sufficient to dismiss them as false or invalid.

The fact is that ad hominem is a type of fallacy that leaves a great impression on the audience mind. It is an argumentative flaw that is difficult to detect in our daily lives. The personal attack that has been made against the opponent may not have a shred of truth, it somehow makes the audience biased. Ironically, despite being flawed, ad hominem has astonishing power of persuasion.

The worst part about using Ad Hominem on purpose is that an opponent will publicly insult you. When this happens to you, you need to take a break from the humiliation and then point out the false connection in the argument that was used as a trap for the audience.The dilemma with Ad Hominem is that once it is used against a person, smeared his reputation. As soon as someone makes such a judgment about someone, the audience takes it as true, rather than judging it on logical grounds